In recent years powered, hand-held, weed and grass trimmers, of the type utilizing a rotating filament to accomplish the trimming, have come into widespread commercial and home use. Such trimmers are generally characterized by an elongated body in the form of a tubular shaft having forward and rearward ends. A spool of the cutting filament is replaceably mounted at the forward end of the trimmer and a length or segment of the filament is unwound from the spool so as to perform the trimming action as the spool is rotated at high speed. When the segment of filament becomes worn or broken, an additional segment is unwound from the spool. This is repeated until the spool is empty, whereupon it is replaced by a new filament spool. In some models of trimmers, the filament spool can be replaced by a rotating blade. The elongated tubular body of the trimmer is generally provided with one or more hand hold means, by which the trimmer may be grasped and controlled by the operator.
Such trimmers generally fall into two basic categories. The first category encompasses those trimmers powered by an internal combustion engine. The engine is normally mounted at the rearward end of the shaft-like body. The shaft of the engine is connected to the spool to impart rotation thereto either by gear means, or flexible shaft means.
The second category of trimmers relates to those trimmers powered by an electrical motor. The electrical motor is normally mounted adjacent the spool at the forward end of the trimmer. Models have been devised with an internal combustion engine mounted at the forward end adjacent the spool or with an electric motor mounted at the rearward end of the trimmer body, but such models are encountered less frequently.
In some trimmer models, the forward end of the trimmer is provided with shield means facing the operator, to protect the operator form the rotating filament as well as sticks, gravel, stones and other debris which might otherwise be thrown toward the operator by the rotating filament.
Trimmers of the type just described are efficient and enable trimming to be accomplished more easily and quickly than heretofore. Nevertheless, they do have certain common drawbacks. For example, when trimming around trees, bushes and the like, if the trimmer is brought too close to the tree, the rotating filament (or blade) can contact the tree bark resulting in injury and/or permanent damage to the tree. Similarly, when trimming around structures such as walls, buildings, cemetery markers and the like, if the trimmer is brought too close to the structure so that the structure is contacted by the rotating filament (or blade), the structure may be marred and the filament (or blade) will be subjected to rapid wear.
The present invention is based upon a guard and guide assembly which may be quickly and easily mounted on conventional weed and grass trimmers of the types described. The primary purpose of the guard and guide assembly is to prevent damage to tree bark and plant stems. It also serves as a guide for trimming around structures and the like, thus extending the life of the filament. When the guard and guide of the assembly is not needed, it may be folded back to lay on the trimmer shaft-like body, thus enabling the operator to use the trimmer in a normal mode. For purposes of an exemplary showing, the invention will be described with respect to trimmers provided with a filament spool and filament segment. It will be understood, however, that when a blade can be used to replace a filament spool, the guard and guide assembly of the present invention will serve the same purposes.